Narrandera
| latd =34 |latm =45 |lats =0 | longd =146 |longm =33 |longs =0 | lga = Narrandera Shire | postcode = 2700 | pop = 3,871 | pop_footnotes = (2011 Census) | est = | elevation= 173.0 | maxtemp = 23.3 | mintemp = 9.9 | rainfall = 471.5 | county = Cooper | stategov = Murrumbidgee | fedgov = Riverina | dist1 = 549 | location1= Sydney | dist2 = 428 | location2= Melbourne | dist3 = 99 | location3= Wagga Wagga | dist4 = 97 | location4= Griffith }} Narrandera ( )Macquarie Dictionary, Fourth Edition (2005). Melbourne, The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd. ISBN 1-876429-14-3 until around 1949 also spelled "Narandera", is a town in southern New South Wales, Australia. It is an important destination for travellers as it lies on the junction of the Newell and Sturt Highways and it is the gateway to the productive Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. At the 2011 census, Narrandera had a population of 3,871 people. History memorial on the Murrumbidgee River]] Narrandera is a river town with a rich heritage. Captain Charles Sturt, the famous explorer, is credited with being the first white man to observe the area that later was to become known as Narrandera. However Sturt, who passed through the district on 12 December 1829, was not the first explorer to cast eyes on the Murrumbidgee River. The upper Murrumbidgee, the "Big Water", was first discovered in April 1821, by Charles Throsby. The name Narrandera is probably derived from Wiradjuri nharrang, meaning "frill-necked lizard". The Narrungderra were the local indigenous people. They were all but destroyed by settlement, disease brought by European settlers, and clashes with the settlers. The last major battle between the indigenous people and European settlers took place near Massacre Island, and is said to have left only one survivor. Narrandera had its first recorded mention as a pastoral station or "run" (Narrandera Run) in 1848, at which time the property held by Mr Edward Flood comprised approximately . The township developed in the early 1860s. Gillinbah Post Office opened nearby on 1 March 1859 and was replaced by the Narrandera office in 1861. A Gillenbah office was open from 1881 to 1892 and from 1906 to 1941. The Borough of Narrandera was constituted by proclamation dated 17 March 1885, and gazetted the following day. The centenary of Local Government in Narrandera was celebrated in 1985. 1945 RAAF crash On 3 September 1945, a Royal Australian Air Force Bristol Beaufighter assigned to No. 92 Squadron crashed into the canal at the western end of the town during a joy flight, killing all seven people on board. Narrandera today The town of Narrandera is located on the Murrumbidgee River, at the intersection of the Newell Highway and the Sturt Highway at the centre of a diversely productive agricultural region. Its attractive tree-lined streets contrast with the open plains that surround it. The Narrandera Memorial Gardens include the unusual Hankinson Fountain. Manufactured by the Royal Doulton Company of England, the ceramic fountain is one of only two known to be in existence, the other located in India. It was given to the people of Narrandera by Alderman and Mrs Hankinson in 1922 in honour of locals who served in World War I. The Hankinson Fountain was smashed by an act of vandalism in 1971 and was restored by Charles Pearce. Narrandera now marks the transition between an extensive dry-land area devoted to cereal crops and sheep and wool production to the east, and, to the west, the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA) fed by water from the Burrinjuck Dam. The MIA is a region where irrigation has opened the way to a diversity of enterprise, from the growing of rice and other cereals under irrigation to the production of citrus, wine grapes and potatoes. The town also has number of historic attractions, such as the Royal Doulton Fountain, located in the Memorial Gardens; a fig tree on the corner of King and Cadell Streets, which is thought to be 150 years old; and the Mon Repos, a residence built in a Queen Anne-style, which was built in the 1890s. Narrandera's immediate surrounds feature a number of waterways, the major waterway being the Murrumbidgee River. The Irrigation Canal, which carries water to the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area to Narrandera's west, flows through the town. It originates west at Berembed Weir where water is diverted from the Murrumbidgee River. The canal follows the natural bed of Bundidgerry Creek and in places spreads wide and has no levee banks. Lake Talbot was formed in 1924 when the bank of the Irrigation Canal gave way, flooding the river flat between the canal and Bundidgerry Hill. The shallow body of water was allowed to remain and became an important recreational feature of the town. The eastern end of the lake is commonly used by water skiiers while the western end forms a wetland habitat for native fauna. A wetland has been created off Lizard Drive, only from the Murrumbidgee River. The Narrandera Wetland is a collection point for storm water run-off from the town. Climate Narrandera has a borderline semi-arid/Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and slightly wetter winters and springs. |date=November 2010 }} Transport Narrandera is well served for transport. The Sturt Highway and the Newell Highways cross just south of Narrandera. Greyhound buses service Narrandera, which is listed as Jillenbah, daily. The Narrandera Airport is west of the town, and is serviced by Regional Express (REX), operating return services daily to Sydney, approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes' flying time away. Narrandera's railway station is serviced by the weekly NSW TrainLink Sydney to Griffith Xplorer. The train stops outbound to Griffith at 2:33pm on Saturdays and inbound to Sydney at 8:45am on Sundays. NSW TrainLink operates daily buses to and from Wagga Wagga, to connect with its Sydney- and Melbourne- bound train services. Notable natives and residents *Governor of New South Wales Marie Bashir; *Cliff Lyons, former Manly Sea Eagles, NSW and Australian Test player *Daniel Christian, cricketer *Prima ballerina Kathleen Gorham; *Sam Groth, professional tour tennis player *Patrick Hartigan (a Catholic priest, poet and author who used the pen name, "John O'Brien"): the bush ethos celebrated by Hartigan in his writings is commemorated in the annual John O'Brien Bush Festival held in the town. *Australian Rules footballer, Tim Ruffles, who plays for the Fremantle Football Club; In popular culture The book Jessica by Bryce Courtenay has several mentions of Narrandera as the main town near the place where the book is set. Gallery Image:Narrandera NSW Australia 20070223.jpg|Aerial view of Narrandera Image:narrandera.jpg|Lake Talbot Swimming Complex References External links *Narrandera Tourism Information *Narrandera Rail Station Category:Towns in the Riverina Category:Towns in New South Wales Category:Settlements on the Murrumbidgee River